Firms To Watch: Dispute resolution

Founded in 2019, Response is an emerging name in the market, mostly focusing on bankruptcy and insurance disputes.

Dispute resolution in Lithuania

Cobalt

Cobalt has been very active in cases concerning energy, transport and banking, particularly in relation to damages claims, bankruptcy and procurement. The aviation sector is an industry of particular prominence and the firm counts Air Baltica and Riga International Airport as clients. Practice head Rimantas Simaitis’ work has a strong emphasis on energy and transport law, and expertise in litigation and arbitration. He is supported by Deividas Soloveičik, a well regarded name for public procurement cases. Paulius Markovas is a key figure for the firm’s bankruptcy and restructuring disputes work. Insurance disputes specialist Marius Inta and senior associate Milda Markevičiūtė, who assists Simaitis’ on numerous matters, are also noted. Žygimantas Pacevičius was a new arrival in September 2020.

Practice head(s):

Rimantas Simaitis

Other key lawyers:

Deividas Soloveičik; Paulius Markovas ; Žygimantas Pacevičius; Marius IntaMilda Markevičiūtė

Testimonials

‘I have worked with Marius Inta who is bright, responsive and creative with solutions. I think Marius is a good all rounder with litigation and insurance expertise. He has a good manner with clients and reports clearly.’

‘Cobalt are represented across the Baltic countries and are clearly an integrated firm, uniquely positioned in the region in my view, to offer a comprehensive and sophisticated legal service to corporate clients in particular, requiring specialist advice and support in these markets. I found their costs to be very reasonable given the scale and complexity of the work that was instructed and never had any billing issues with them.’

‘I worked primarily with Marius Inta. I found him to be responsive, balanced in his advice and highly astute on key decisions regarding strategy and legal interpretation. A very trust worthy advocate.’

‘We are very pleased with dispute resolution team: we are mainly dealing with partner Rimantas Simaitis and senior associate Milda Markeviciute and we value the depth and the quality of legal advice. We are comfortable and quite at ease knowing that our cases are being managed in the top level. The team is very thoughtful and has high competence in managing disputes. They like to get to the bottom of disputes in question and we value the understanding of the kind of disputes we are having.’

‘We would like to highlight partner Rimantas Simaitis for his one-of-the-kind point of view to disputes and senior associate Milda Markeviciute for her ability to manage any dispute put before her in an efficient manner. They manage their team very well.’

Key clients

AB Lietuvos geležinkeliai

Veolia Group

Enercon GmbH

Citadele Leasing

Riga International Airport

AB ORLEN Lietuva

UAB Merko statyba and Merko Ehitus AS

Lithuanian Car Roads Administration

UAB ATEA Baltic, UAB ATEA, UAB ELSIS and related group of ATEA/Ementor companies

Air Baltic Corporation A/S

Vakarų medienos grupė

UAB ARX

UAB Pramonės energija

BOD group

Suek AG

UAB Alna, UAB Alna Business Solutions, UAB Alna Software

UAB ITALIANA LT

Steinmuller Babcock GmbH

Rituals Cosmetics enterprise B.V.

AB LIFOSA

Work highlights

  • Represented a major Latvian airport as a respondent in a case initiated by formerly one of the biggest air carriers in Lithuania which is currently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.
  • Represented AirBaltic as a co-respondent in a standalone case involving claims for damages from another air carrier and its former shareholders.
  • Represented UAB Vilniaus energija (a Veolia Group company) in a dispute against a Lithuanian distribution network operator Ignitis, AB regarding discrimination against other CHP plants and a state-owned electricity plant.

Ellex

Ellex is a leading firm in the market for arbitration, as illustrated by its regular instructions from the Lithuanian government on investor-state arbitrations. International arbitration is a particularly standout attribute of the practice and the team has acted before the ICC in Paris and the MIAC in Moscow. The group is also prominent in litigation surrounding professional negligence, white-collar crime, banking litigation and administrative cases.  International arbitration expert Miroslav Nosevic co-chairs the practice alongside Giedre Aukstuoliene, who focuses on commercial and investment arbitration. Other key names include founding partner Raimundas Lideika, who focuses on liability cases; Vilija Vaitkute Pavan, who also specialises in arbitration; former judge of the Supreme Court of Lithuania Egidijus Baranauskas and Valentinas Mikelėnas.

Other key lawyers:

Raimundas LideikaVilija Vaitkute Pavan; Valentinas Mikelėnas; Egidijus Baranauskas; Rūta Jasilionė

Testimonials

‘The best I came across in Lithuania, perfectly able to master a complex arbitration in accordance with international standards.’

‘Vilija Vaitkute Pavan, partner: very professional and highly experienced litigator, deep knowledge in arbitration proceedings’

‘The team is Lithuania’s leading disputes practice will a number of lawyers who are “real class acts, at the top of their game”.’

‘Vilija Vaitkute Pavan – Vilija is a tenacious litigator, with a strong eye for detail and tactics. A pleasure to work with.’

Giedre Aukstuoliene – is calm and meticulously detailed. A joy to work with.

‘The Ellex team is a very talented and collaborative team that has successfully partnered with us on a complex and politically sensitive case. They are thorough and timely and their analysis of facts as well as the legal issues concerning Lithuanian law has added massive value to our abilities to serve our common client. I have never worked with a local counsel who is so seamless, collaborative and enjoyable as Ellex, a high quality team to work with.’

‘Vilija Vaitkute Pavan is an outstanding case strategist who is always thinking not only of the legal aspects of a case but also the wide impact that the case may have on the client and potentially other matters.’

‘Giedre Aukstuoliene is a new talent. Her ability to see the big picture but at the same time concentrate on the details is remarkable.’

‘Ellex dispute resolution practice should be considered as one of the first choices when facing the most complex and complicated disputes or conflicts. Being a market leader for 30 years Ellex has unique expertise and the biggest team in the Baltics to handle projects of the biggest scope. We are pleasantly surprised that the practice has a great age and experience balance where the young generation works together with the top litigators and this also enables the team to be very efficient. We also highly appreciate personal involvement and availability of partners, who demonstrate deep understanding of matters in each case.’

‘Partner and chair of dispute resolution practice Giedre Aukstuoliene is not only smart and strategic, but is also able to manage the projects of the biggest scale.’

‘Partner Egidijus Baranauskas has ability to foresee the trends in Lithuanian case law taking into account his former role as a Supreme Court judge.’

‘Senior associate Rūta Jasilionė is a promising lawyer of younger generation extremely focused on the client’s needs and is able to suggest very practical solutions to reach the goals set in the most efficient manner.’

Key clients

The Republic of Lithuania, represented by the Ministry of Finance

Alita, AB

The Republic of Lithuania, represented by the Ministry of Justice

Kaunas Free Economic Zone Operator

City Service SE (part of ICOR corporate group)

Amber Grid, AB

East Capital New Europe Fund

Litesko, UAB

Rimi Lietuva, UAB (a part of ICA Group)

Kaunas City Municipality

Work highlights

  • Represented the Republic of Lithuania in an investor-state arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules protecting the state against the Russian Fund for Protection of Investors’ Rights in Foreign States
  • Represented the heat supply company Litesko, part of the largest group of energy service companies in Europe Veolia, in complex disputes against a municipality related to the lease of the city district heating system.
  • Represented the Republic of Lithuania in bringing the largest annulment case brough before the Court of Justice of the European Union agains the provision of the Mobility Package potentially violating  EU law

Motieka & Audzevicius

Motieka & Audzevicius is a leading firm in the market and the port of call for a number of major investor state arbitrations and cross-border litigation. International arbitration is a core area of focus for both Ramūnas Audzevičius and Rimantas Daujotas, both have acted before major centres under UNCITRAL, SCC and the ICC rules. Jovitas Elzbergas is particularly renowned for real estate and construction cases, Justinas Jarusevičius is an expert in shareholder disputes and competition law and Valentas Mitrauskas is an expert in public procurement. Senior associates Albertas Šekštelo, who focuses on commercial and investment disputes, and Mantas Juozaitis, who specialises in tax and customs law, provide additional support.

Testimonials

‘It was a great pleasure to work with such qualified and professional team, always thinking out of the box.’

‘We worked together with Albertas Sekstelo, who is very responsive and did his best to solve our issues.’

Considering innovations – the team adapted very quickly to work online during quarantine – which did not affect even a bit the quality of services.

‘Ramūnas Audzevičius – has outstanding knowledge of law, also is always impressing us with his ability to execute interrogations in court hearings, and who has amazing public speaking skills – all these skills together combine to a top litigator and leader, who drives his team towards success.’

‘The team is always ready to help, even when deadlines are extremely short and work needs to be done urgently.’

‘It is a great experience working with the Motieka team. They are a well-known law firm on the Lithuanian market that has substantial background and experience to deal with really complex and long term projects. Their team always demonstrates thorough preparation for addressing the court and hearings including exhaustive expertise of evidence and documents including those originated from abroad. They are indeed meticulous and able to sense the underwater currents and pre-emptively react to possible risks. Here is where the Motieka team stands out on the market.’

Motieka & Audzevicius has an excellent team of very experienced practitioners who are very strong in international and cross-border matters. In particular, the firm is strong in disputes covering various jurisdictions and matters involving international arbitrations, public international law and investor-state disputes.

We also enjoy their service quality – excellent strategy and tactics in large disputes, impeccable representation both in written and oral proceedings, constant reporting and updates.

We work with disputes partner Dr. Rimantas Daujotas. We trust Rimantas with our most important and complex matters, which usually involve international disputes, covering multiple jurisdictions and international law matters. Rimantas is very strong in investor-state disputes and public international law. He has vast experience is this kind of disputes. He is also a great negotiator and strategist when it comes to disputes with foreign governments. We were never disappointed in choosing Rimantas as our counsel.

Key clients

Vilniaus prekyba, UAB

ICOR, UAB

Panevėžio keliai, AB

DS Byggeri

Linas Agro Group, AB

Garsų pasaulis, UAB

Ecoservice Klaipėda, UAB

Teso LT, UAB

Baltijos stiklas, UAB

Reklamos arka, UAB

AXIS Tech, UAB

Work highlights

  • Successfully represented Vilniaus prekyba, the largest Lithuanian group of companies, against Mr. M. Marcinkevicius, a shareholder of Relvit Ltd., in damage litigation.
  • Represented ICOR in a  case where a state would withdraw its ICSID investor-state arbitration counterclaim in the wake of the Achmea CJEU judgment and convert it into an independent claim in its own national courts.

Sorainen

Sorainen has been involved in some high-stakes cases in the Lithuanian market, most notably acting for local businessman Mindaugas Marcinkevičius in a number of cases concerning the VP Group, one of the country’s largest companies. The team’s workload has generally involved commercial arbitration, criminal investigations, procurement and insolvency. Kęstutis Švirinas is particularly known for his expertise in fraud and white-collar criminal law disputes. He heads the team alongside Laurynas Lukošiūnas, an expert in public procurement and EU law. Kazimieras Karpickis was promoted to the partnership in January 2022.

Other key lawyers:

Kazimieras Karpickis

Testimonials

‘Sorainen’s dispute resolution team appears as one united team committed to go the extra mile. While other law firms would give up, Sorainen continues to search for creative solutions. Further, they do not understand the legal issues, but also have deep industry knowledge.’

‘Kestutis Svirinas is a hardworking guy (even over weekends) and super responsive.’

‘Laurynas Lukosiunas is highly innovative and creative, and always ready to support even on short notice. Good knowledge and understanding of the market.’

‘Sorainen is a leading firm in the Baltics. Partners are strongly connected with domestic corporates and well embedded in their business lines. I have worked with Kestutis Svirinas and his team in a cross-border contentious matter. He is skilful and strategic.’

‘The Sorainen dispute resolution team is distinguished by a wide range of expertise, i.e. commercial, corporate and regulatory disputes, including arbitration and white-collar defence and investigations. Each team member has his/her own specializations that enables them to provide high quality services in complex dispute cases. Also, the law firm has a number of legal experts who specialize exclusively in specific fields of law. Hence, in the event of complex litigation, the Sorainen dispute team has unique opportunity to involve their own experts instead of engaging external experts. ‘

The Sorainen disputes team, when advising on a strategy of further representation, always evaluates significantly the wider spectrum of potential legal actions, including a pros and cons review, which enables us to get a real view on the probability of success.’

‘Kęstutis Švirinas, a partner at Sorainen, is the most shining individual in the team whom we have been working with. We always receive his pragmatic view on every issue we present to him. Moreover, he is very smart in choosing representation tactics in complex cases. He is a universal lawyer having great knowledge and experience in many different legal matters, including criminal law, which enables him to present the best tactics of representation in complex matters.  He is always calm and describes complex problems in a simply way. Therefore this makes us feel safe and confident. I always keep saying that Kestutis is a professional chess player in legal disputes as he never takes the first move without identifying of two or three other options.’

Key clients

Mart Inn Food

Mr. Mindaugas Marcinkevičius

Attexo OU

Heidelberg Cement Northern Europe AB

R.M.D. Grains SAL

Algol Chemicals, UAB

Baltijos kredito sprendimai, UAB

BAB bankas Snoras

AIG EUROPE LIMITED

HIDROSTATYBA, UAB

Ekonovus, UAB

Lietuvos geležinkeliai, AB

Alfa Bank

Šiaulių plentas and Žemaitijos keliai

Work highlights

  • Representing Mindaugas Marcinkevičius in a dispute concerning allegations of large-scale tax evasion and misappropriation of corporate funds against a fellow shareholder in VP Group.
  • Acted for Profarma in a court dispute where the prosecutor of the Lithuanian General Prosecutor’s Office claims that in the public procurement procedure Profarma provided unreasonable prices for Covid-19 testing contracts.
  • Acted for Alfa Bank in disputes regarding loans personally granted by Mr. Vidmantas Kučinskas to Arvi NKP, which operates a fertilizer factory in Kaliningrad.

GLIMSTEDT Bernotas & Partners

GLIMSTEDT Bernotas & Partners is very active in contract claims work, advising on issues of negligence, damages and debt recovery. Managing partner Solveiga Palevičienė oversees the team and specialises in contract and investment law, with expertise in litigation and arbitration. She is supported by Jonas Masiokas, who focuses on insurance, IP and white-collar cases. Laura Augytė-Kamarauskienė, who specialises in professional liability lawsuits, is another name of note.

Practice head(s):

Solveiga Palevičienė 

Key clients

UAB Lektransa

UAB Devold

Mr Arūnas Simutis

Mr Ivor Ichikowitz

UAB “Švyturys-Utenos alus”

Gabioner Sweden AB

ERGO Insurance SE Lithuanian Branch

Arik Air Limited (In Receivership)

OOO Technosvar

Mr Andrius Romanovskis

UAB Ergomotion EU

UAB Global Furniture Components

Mrs Helle Nielsen Hansted

Work highlights

  • Representing ERGO Insurance SE Lithuanian Branch in 29 civil cases regarding insureds’ notaries civil liability.
  • Represented Arik Air Limited (In Receivership) in the dispute with the Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey GmbH regarding an enforcement of the European Enforcement Order, issued by a German court, and a seizure of the airplane.
  • Successfully represented UAB Lektransa in arbitration against its former partner Mr R. Paulikas.

LEADELL Balciunas ir Grajauskas

LEADELL Balciunas ir Grajauskas has handled disputes at both a local and European level, and has been particularly active in state aid-related disputes. The team is also known to handle debt settlement cases, procurement disputes and construction matters. Practice head Gintaras Balčiūnas is well versed in public law issues and is a former Minister of Justice in Lithuania. He is supported by competition specialist Vaidas Radvila and Gintaras Stankevičius, who focuses on real estate and construction matters.

Practice head(s):

Gintaras Balčiūnas

Key clients

AB “Achema”

UAB KONCERNAS “ACHEMOS GRUPĖ”,

UAB “Achema Gas Trade”

“Renerga”, UAB

UAB “Roche Lietuva”

UAB “Eoltas

UAB “Agrochema”

AB “Klaipėdos jūrų krovinių kompanija” (KLASCO)

UAB “Solis tribus”

Work highlights

  • Acted for ROCHE group in a public procurement dispute.
  • Assisted Achema with disputing a levy enforced by the Lithuanian authorities.
  • Represented Agrochema in several debt settlement cases against farmers who supplied grain to the company.

Magnusson

Magnusson stands out for its strengths in public procurement, and real estate and construction disputes. The team is also skilled in liability and damages claims, shareholder disputes and contractual breaches. The group is jointly led by Marius Endzinas, who specialises in public procurement and handles both litigation and arbitration cases, and Evaldas Rapolas who focuses on commercial disputes.

Other key lawyers:

Edmundas Daunys

Testimonials

‘Our company has been a client of Magnusson for many years. The most important thing which we get from Magnusson is that when they are evaluating our situations, they are very focused on creating value for us, not only coming up with formal legal solutions or proposals, but also thinking about how our company’s decisions based on those proposals will affect our business, financial costs, the image of the company as the business unit, etc. Magnusson respects the budgets and does not inflate the billables.’

‘Evaldas Rapolas is our main contact for all our disputes. Evaldas is a very good strategist, as well as having has excellent analytical skills and process planning skills.’

‘Marius Endzinas is Magnusson’s expert for public procurement issues. He has a creative and client-oriented approach, which, together with his deep experience in the field, allow him to provide us with precise insights and solutions for each situation we are in.’

‘Edmundas Daunys is very good in shareholders‘ cases. His very good analytical skills and deep knowledge allows us to conduct successfully legal proceedings.’

‘First of all professionals in particular field. Orientated to the clients needs. Flexible in terms of disputes.’

‘Magnusson’s Dispute Resolution team is exceptionally strong and experienced when it comes to public procurement disputes. They have ensured interchangeability of team members, which is very important considering the very short deadlines for these kind of disputes.’

‘Marius Endzinas is the individual I have been dealing with, and he is doing an exceptional job advising and representing us regarding our procurement disputes. He understands the legal aspects well and gives very practical solutions to the issues we are facing. Marius always looks at benefitting us as a client and is frank about the possibilities of each dispute we are facing, so we know what we can expect and the value we are getting.’

Key clients

Eikos statyba

Kautra

Kauno autobusai

Swetrak

Alga

Bruneros

ARV Auto

SK Impex Service Center

Lietuvos futbolo federacija (Lithuanian Football Federation)

KIKA LT

Juodoji audinė

Work highlights

  • Represented Eikos statyba, a construction company, in a public procurement dispute regarding the results of a tender for construction of the new facility for Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine,
  • Representing Romega in a dispute regarding bacterial safety of imported raw poultry; the dispute has been referred to the European Court of Justice.
  • Representing a German company in a dispute against Šiaulių bankas AB regarding damages resulting from a violation of anti-money laundering rules.

PRIMUS Law Firm

PRIMUS Law Firm is a respected name in areas such as real estate and construction, public procurement and banking litigation, with an additional niche focus on the sports sector. Leading the team is Marius Devyžis, who focuses on shareholder disputes, liability claims and public procurement tenders.  He is also a key name for the firm’s sports law work, and has acted before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He is supported by real estate and construction disputes specialist Andrius Lukašonokas, of counsel and aviation expert Paulius Docka, as well as Jonas Platelis, a recent arrival from KPMG who focuses on real estate and construction matters.

Practice head(s):

Marius Devyžis

Testimonials

‘The team is unique in having a wide range of specialists in different areas.’

Key clients

Blue Bridge MSP, UAB; Blue Bridge, UAB

Siemens Healthcare Oy

World-Clear Ltd.

Tilts, SIA

Marijampolės futbolo klubas Sūduva

Mr. Jaroslav Neverovič, Former Lithuanian Minister of Energy

World Baltic Trade, UAB

Upės projektai, UAB

Neptūno krepšinio klubas (Basketball ClubNeptūnas)

PP6, UAB

Mes invest, UAB

Work highlights

  • Defended the interest of Blue Bridge in a court dispute against a contracting authority regarding results of strategic public tender for the construction of the state cloud service infrastructure.
  • Acting for World-Clear in the tracing and recovery of its stolen money which were sent to an alleged fintech company.
  • Represented Marijampolės futbolo klubas Sūduva, a professional football club affiliated to the Lithuanian Football Federation, in a contractual dispute between a professional football club affiliated to the Egyptian Football Association and a professional football player.

TGS Baltic

TGS Baltic is a prominent name  in the energy sector, counting Lithuania’s Ministry of Energy as a key client.  Managing partner Vilius Bernatonis is the key name of note in energy and infrastructure cases involving issues of contractual breaches and indemnity. Practice head Marius Brasiūnas also has an interest in the energy sector as well as being involved in commercial disputes and those in the transport sectors, advising on shareholder disputes and compensation claims. Commercial litigation is also handled by Vidmantas Drizga. The team also has strong capabilities in areas including real estate and construction, where Dainius Stasiulis is a key name, and bankruptcy disputes, a core area of focus for Žydrūnė Stuglytė. Competition specialist Lina Darulienė is also highly regarded.

Practice head(s):

Marius Brasiūnas

Testimonials

‘TGS has vast experience and very good credibility.’

‘The team is able to cover a broad range of areas that require in-depth expertise.’

‘High quality of work, great work speed and dedication.’

‘The team comprises several highly-skilled litigation specialists, who are extremely well versed in all ins and outs of the Lithuanian civil procedure. They have unwaveringly and efficiently supported us throughout a very complex and high-profile case to our full satisfaction.’

‘Lina Darulienė is able to offer expertise even in niche areas such as competition damages litigation. Unlike most other lawyers, she has graduated from economics as well, which allows her to understand the essence of a commercial dispute faster and better than others. She is very resilient and does not lose focus even in the most stressful situations. To top it off, her communication skills – including the ability to convincingly plead before courts – are amazing.

Vidmantas Drizga has excellent personal and professional qualities for solving complex projects that combine legal and business issues, is an excellent strategic advisor on such issues, which helps to discover out of the box solutions to complex issues.

Key clients

The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania

UAB Vilniaus kogeneracinė jėgainė

Vilnius City Municipality and AB Vilniaus šilumos tinklai

Alytus City Municipality and UAB Alytaus šilumos tinklai

MAXIMA GRUPĖ, UAB and FRANMAX, UAB

UAB Impuls LTU

AB Lietuvos geležinkeliai

AB LTG Infra

AB SEB bankas

BAB bankas SNORAS

AB ORLEN Lietuva

EUROCASH1, UAB

AB SMILTYNĖS PERKĖLA

UAB Cgates

SPA Davines

UAB Philip Morris Baltic

TV Play Baltics AS

UAB NEG Recycling

Work highlights

  • Advised the Republic of Lithuania in an investment dispute with Veolia Environnement S.A., Veolia Energie S.A.S., UAB Vilniaus energija and UAB Litesko in investment arbitration case pending before the ICSID Tribunal as well as in a civil case pending before the Lithuanian courts as a result of he termination of bilateral investment treaties between the Member States of the European Union.
  • Acted for MAXIMA GRUPĖ, UAB and FRANMAX, UAB in court proceedings against the former CEOs and members of the Board of related companies for indemnification of damages caused to the claimants.
  • Represented UAB Vilniaus kogeneracinė jėgainė, a company responsible for the construction of a new combined heat and power plant in Vilnius, Lithuania, in SCC arbitration proceedings against Rafako S.A. and its failure to complete one of the plant’s units.

WALLESS

Arbitration is a notable strength of WALLESS, which has expertise in both international and domestic cases and ‘highly respected arbitration practitionerGediminas Dominas fronts the team. Simona Drukteiniene  also has a strong focus on arbitration, particularly in relation to investment disputes. Construction and infrastructure-related disputes are another core area of focus, with Renata Jatuzyte-Muleviciene a key name within these areas.

Practice head(s):

Gediminas Dominas

Testimonials

‘The dispute resolution team is true to its motto – the client is what matters. And they really mean that: you share your problem and may be comfortable that it will be dealt as a personal one. Simona Drukteiniene is a well known and respected expert in civil law, especially in tortious and contractual liability, liability of public authorities, insurance law.’

‘Gediminas Dominas is a highly respected arbitration practitioner. The size of the team perfectly reflects the needs of the client – you always have a partner (or both of them in most complicated matters) on the team, accompanied by a suitable number of highly competent associates. If needed, specialized knowledge of other teams is shared by the dispute resolution team. They always start with the strategy of the issue at hand rather than focusing on an isolated matter.’

‘The cases we’ve been working with WALLESS’ dispute resolution team over the past twelve months raised particularly complex issues which have not been dealt with in Lithuanian case law and legal literature before, thus they required deep theoretical background, high litigation skills and solid reputation. We were very satisfied with the results reached.’

‘Simona Drukteinienė is very good on the strategy of the issue. She thinks several steps ahead and always has several scenarios in mind. Gediminas Dominas is a highly respected arbitration practitioner.’

‘The team possesses extremely talented and highly experienced litigators. The lawyers are able to always respond quickly and provide quality advice based on business specifics.’

‘The lawyers understand business practicalities. Provide clear advice without too much legal jargon.’

Key clients

UAB LOGICHEMA

Kopparbergs Bryggeri AB

Luminor Bank AS

E-energija

UAB Krasta Auto

UAB Prime Leasing

VINGE, law firm

Baltic Fert

Kinnarps AB

LEONHARD WEISS

Vilnius City Municipality Administration

Work highlights

  • Acted for Leonhard Weiss OÜ in a construction contract dispute against AB LTGInfra – a state-owned company, which operates public national railway infrastructure and implements Rail Baltica projects in Lithuania.
  • Advised YIT Lietuva in a dispute against UAB Mitnija over refusal to pay for works performed under construction contract at NATO base.
  • Advised LOGICHEMA in a claim against its 40 % shareholder and former key employee for breach of non-competition restriction.

bnt attorneys in CEE

bnt attorneys in CEE has carved a niche in handling work for primarily German clients, with BMW and Lufthansa among its client roster. The group's caseload includes debt recovery claims, public procurement, contractual breaches and white-collar criminal law matters. Frank Heemann, who is German qualified, is a key name and leads the team alongside senior associate Linas Vadeika, who focuses on bankruptcy and public procurement matters.

Practice head(s):

Frank Heemann; Linas Vadeika

Testimonials

‘Factual and competent. Prompt response time and flow of information. Thorough research work on site. Multilingual. Very good negotiating skills -fair prices.’

‘Deep understanding of the tech-aspect of the dispute.’

‘Good communication and swift preparation of motions.’

‘Proactive, target oriented, responsive.’

‘I have worked with Frank Heemann on an insolvency related dispute and appreciate his responsiveness and commercial approach.’

Key clients

BMW Bank GmbH

Ecksclusive GmbH

Eika, UAB

Ernst Kuno Robert König

Eutransbaltic, MB

FC ecom, s.r.o.

Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey GmbH

Engineering Solutions Scandinavia AB i konkurs

Arkema France S.A. (former: ArrMaz Chemicals SAS)

Vertiqal AG

HAWA Hamburger Waren- und Lebensmittelhandelsgesellschaft mbH

Thinx Trading B.V.

Hanseatic Delifood GmbH

Industras UAB

Monify AS

Rolf Hans Metz

Leonhard Constantin Pöhlmann

Baltijos Brasta Group UAB

Euroelektronika UAB

KRASTA AUTO UAB

LITAMILK UAB

Nord Via, UAB

Reifen Hinghaus GmbH

Schmitz Cargobull Baltic UAB

Bolle Holding GmbH

DK Investicijos UAB

Elicon Baltic, UAB

Fabian Kippenberg

Legal Net GmbH

Work highlights

  • Acted for Lufthansa in a debt claim against a Nigerian airline.
  • Represented Vertiqal AG in preventing a dishonest debtor from having personal bankruptcy proceedings opened.
  • Represented EUROELECTRONIKA in a court dispute over public procurement of a radio detection system at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border.

Eversheds Saladžius (a member of Eversheds Sutherland)

Eversheds Saladžius (a member of Eversheds Sutherland) fields 'a highly competent team with perfect understanding of local laws and legislations'. The group has been particularly active in disputes concerning insolvency and public procurement. Rimtis Puišys jointly leads the team and is an expert in commercial and procurement law. Also heading the group is senior associate Arnoldas Jokubaitis, who is a key name for civil, administrative and criminal cases. Associate Monika Jankauskienė is another name of note.

Other key lawyers:

Monika Jankauskienė

Testimonials

‘Highly competent team with perfect understanding of local laws and legislation. It makes this company easy to work with.’

Key clients

Vilnius Gediminas Technical University

Advance Business Consultancy

Toralis

Grundfos Pumps Baltic Lietuvos filialas

Fortum Heat Lietuva

Fortum Klaipėda

Linava

Work highlights

  • Represented Vilnius Gediminas Technical University in a public procurement dispute in court.
  • Represented the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association LINAVA in filing a claim to the administrative courts followed by the assistance at the Constitutional Court concerning the procedure of adopting the government resolution on the regulation of per diem to mobile workers in road transport.
  • Acted for Toralis in its insolvency proceedings against UAB Deiga.

Triniti Jurex Law Firm

Triniti Jurex Law Firm primarily focuses on commercial, construction and IP disputes. Jurgita Judickienė leads the dispute resolution and employment team and as such is well placed to handle contentious employment matters. Managing partner Vilija Viešūnaitė is another key name and specialises in IP, IT and franchising disputes.

Practice head(s):

Jurgita Judickienė

Other key lawyers:

Vilija Viešūnaitė

Testimonials

‘The main differentiating traits of TRINITY JUREX are: passion for what they are doing, high level communication skills, willingness and ability to listen, exceptionally professional knowledge of the legal matters they are dealing with.’

‘I had an opportunity to work with the lawyer Jurgita Judickiene. She is a respected litigator, strategic thinker with incredible situation management skills. Her unique practical experience allowed me to manage the situation, predict the likely outcome of the case.’

‘TRINITI JUREX has an effective performance management process, provides a high quality of service, understands and responds to clients’ business expectations, and proactively advises and recommends how to improve its operations so that no additional concerns or problems arise. It has a most professional approach to solving a client’s problem, thinking one step ahead, and the willingness to proactively point out the problems that I don’t see myself, but that could happen if we don’t make certain decisions. The litigation risk management tips really set this team apart from the rest.’

‘I had the opportunity to work with lawyer Jurgita Judickiene. She has good litigation skills, strategic thinking and situation management skills. Her insights and advice allowed me to manage the situation, predict the outcome and anticipate the procedural steps tactfully.’

‘For a foreigner doing work in Lithuania, having Triniti Jurex in my corner has made life much easier and helped me sleep at night. They are well connected across the business and legal community, and very helpful in explaining the Lithuanian legal system, dispute resolution, etc.’

‘Putting themselves in their clients shoes, understanding my perspective and concerns and tailoring their service to meet those concerns and cultural/legal differences.’

Key clients

Beltyre, JSC

Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre (LRTC)

Lietuvos žurnalistų sąjunga

LitCon

JSC “Totalis”

MIR Global

DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH

Schiedel GmbH & Co. KG

mBank SA

Zhongce Rubber Group Company Limited

Lietuvos paštas, AB

Averus

Averus is primarily known for its expertise in shipping and transport, largely involving issues surrounding transport contracts and cargo damages claims.  Shipping specialist Regina Derkintytė-Kaupienė jointly leads the team and handles matters involving cargo loss or damage, ship arrests and crewing issues. Fellow practice head Raimondas Kivylius is active in financial crime, bankruptcy and tax disputes.

Testimonials

‘They are the leading shipping and dispute resolution lawyers I can always trust to do a perfect job.’

‘Great team of professionals.’

‘Good knowledge of laws, quick and professional response.’

‘Everything goes smoothly and quickly. All situations are responded to immediately and in a timely manner. All procedures are clearly explained.’

‘The main features that set it apart from the competition are speed, communication, clarity, accuracy, intelligibility.’

Key clients

UAB CF&S Lithuania

Fargo Line, UAB

UAB Gargždų būstas

Global Trade Logistics

Klaipėdos statybinės medžiagos, UAB

JSC Europe stabilizers, UAB

Kretingos rajono savivaldybės administracija

UAB “Manvesta”

UAB “Babruna”

UAB Danes perlas

UAB Euroga

UAB Baltijos pervežimai

SIA Marine Underwriting Services

UAB Towmar Baltic

UAB Jurmazge

Scania Finans Aktiebolag Lietuvos filialas

UAB Stena Line

UAB Laivų technika

Lithuanian Pilot association

ITF Lithuania

Magnetic MRO AS (and the group companies)

Heston Services Ltd

UAB Avion Express

UAB Mann Lines

UAB Gartruda

UAB MK shipping

UAB Nurminen Maritime

UAB Litana ir Ko

UADBB MAI Baltics

SIA SOL S

UAB Topada

Marine Legal Bureau OÜ

Association for vehicle importers from USA

UAB Autodata

UAB Rhenus svoris

UAB Autonomas

UAB SIDC PASSER GROUP

Compensa Vienna Insurance Group, ADB

Ferteksos Transportas UAB

Transona UAB

Belintertrans Baltic UAB

GeMi Boats Production UAB

Logex LTD

NORDIC YACHT SUPPLY UAB

ERGO Insurance SE Lietuvos filialas

Ekomira UAB

Transcentras UAB

TransRental UAB

AV Logistics, OOO

First Logistics, UAB

Jupoja export UAB

KERR SIA

Compensa Vienna Insurance Group

Baltic Underwriting Agency

Scania Finans Aktiebolag Lietuvos filialas

UAB Vilktukas

Work highlights

  • Represented UAB Litana and Ko in a complex court dispute regarding sub-construction works in a newly built 32,000 sq.m. factory ordered by IKEA.
  • Represented Neringa Municipality in several judicial cases against the contractor that has been engaged to build a multifunctional centre in Curonian Spit.
  • Represented Magnetic MRO AS’s employee as the claimant, who suffered major injuries falling with a car from multi-storey parking in the business centre EUROPA for recovery of damages caused by unsecure parking.

ECOVIS ProventusLaw

ECOVIS ProventusLaw has a board offering across civil, administrative and criminal cases, with expertise in both litigation and arbitration. Its recent workload includes cases concerning bankruptcy issues, defective goods, employment disputes, contract breaches and fraud. Kęstutis Kvainauskas has a strong background in the financial services sector. Loreta Andziulytė is also noted.

Testimonials

‘All company employees with whom we are in connection are highly skilled professionals and they clearly understand our tasks and the goals we are trying to achieve. The actual service is of a high standard and the company is always willing to go the “extra mile” to make everything perfect. Our firm is very happy and pleased with overall experience working side by side with Ecovis ProventusLaw.’

‘Their team was very responsive and dedicated. It was crucial as the case had very short deadlines. All of them took their personal time to go deeper into the matter and bring the best solution.’

‘The team has very high business acumen. Our business is specific and the Ecovis team quickly understood the essence and picked the most important and right details for the case.’

‘They are very open and sincere and create very logical and fair expectations. In this case, the company could evaluate the risk and take decisions internally efficiently.

‘They are very sharp-minded and can take quick and brave decisions quickly. Working with them, you feel that you are the most important client with the most critical case.’

‘We worked with Loreta Andziulyte. Loreta, as a partner, supervised the case and shared her non-traditional solutions so that we could look at the subject from a different angle. She has a swift reaction and undisputed skill to see a few steps ahead.’

Key clients

Rizikos cesija, UADBB

MAAS Aviation, UAB

Sezzle Lithuania, UAB

Guru Pay, UAB

PHOENIX PAYMENTS, UAB

NMU (Specialty) Ltd

Harmony life, UAB

Majestic Financial UAB

MTTC, UAB

Arctic Adventures, UAB

deVere E-money, UAB

CGI Lithuania, UAB

VIA PAYMENTS, UAB

Natural persons (group of scientists)

DeGraaf International B.V.

SCP Group, UAB

Lietuvos auditorių rūmai

Estnaila, UAB

Technoparkas, UAB

Private Trade Unitary Enterprise Bel Alba-Tsep

Transekspedicija, UAB

Vilniaus parkai, UAB

Capital solutions Ltd.

Lietuvos energija, UAB

Lietuvos draudimas, AB

Lietuvos draudimo brokerių įmonių asociacija

Avalanche, UAB

Work highlights

  • Represented Estnaila, UAB in a dispute regarding damaged goods, which including assisting the client with avoiding litigation in the Netherlands and ending the dispute with a settlement agreement.

Marger

Marger is notably strong in construction disputes, advising on contractual breaches, debt issues and professional negligence. Ramūnas Kontrauskas is very active in construction-related disputes, with expertise in both litigation and arbitration. Deividas Poška specialises in administrative, tax and commercial litigation.

Testimonials

‘Marger is a team which I can trust. High level of EQ and IQ. Level of the collaboration is very high that’s why I work with them.’

‘Extraordinary attitude from the whole team. Client oriented services, this makes this law firm unique.’

‘Ramūnas Kontrauskas is an outstanding expert in the dispute law area. Highly motivated and always on top of client issues.’

Key clients

UAB “Vilniaus vandenys”

UAB “Kauno tiltai”

AB “Panevėžio stiklas”

Druskininkai Municipality

UAB “Darnu group”

Girteka

Lords LB Asset Management

Staticus group

Republic of Lithuania

Vilniaus vystymo kompanija

Work highlights

  • Rrepresenting Staticus group in a shareholders’ dispute.
  • Acted for Darnu Group in a real estate dispute.
  • Represented the largest water management company Vilniaus vandenys against the Environmental Project Management Agency and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania.

SPC Legal

SPC Legal is highly skilled in handling bankruptcy and liability insurance disputes, with a particular emphasis on sectors including manufacturing, construction and infrastructure. Managing partner Giedrius Murauskas co-heads the team and has expertise in both litigation and arbitration. Fellow practice head Daiva Lileikiene's strengths lie in issues pertaining to public procurement and PPP projects.

Other key lawyers:

Arnas Bareika; Gintas Andruška

Testimonials

‘Highly qualified and cooperative team.’

‘Giedrius Murauskas and Arnas Bareika: Proactive and business oriented legal advice allowed us to feel confident and taken care of.’

‘SPC Legal’s dispute resolution team is extraordinary for their attentive, thoughtful and professional approach to their clients, which shows their honest interest to help the clients. They always complete a good amount of research considering the specific sector to fulfil the clients’ needs.’

‘Giedrius Murauskas is an experienced lawyer with a keen eye, analytic thinking, and exceptional abilities. Giedrius pays close attention to his clients and always manages to come up with the most cost-effective and pleasant solution. He is a true expert in his industry who makes his clients feel secure in any situation – there is no doubt that Giedrius will solve the challenge he has been given.’

‘Gintas Andruška: talented professional, who specializes in construction conflicts.’

‘The team providing services is extremely professional, communicative, attentive and informative. Easily adapts to the customer in the form of communication. The team is knowledgeable in many areas of business activity and issues.’

Key clients

Eurovia Lietuva AB and Eurovia CS. a.s.

Caverion Lietuva UAB

Panevezio stiklas AB

Orlen Retail Baltics AB

Grudoteka UAB

MSC Lithuania UAB

Ecoservice UAB

Avion express UAB

Hakonlita UAB (RIMI Baltic)

Fortevento UAB

Work highlights

  • Representing Ecoservice UAB in a dispute regarding the nullification of 50m Euros worth in-house transaction for waste management services in Panevėžys city.
  • Representing Inservis UAB in a civil dispute with BM Bustas UAB over a loss award relating to the Rimi shopping centre in Vilnius.
  • Representing Eurovia Lietuva AB and its parent company Eurovia CS. a.s., in a set of civil and criminal cases against Lithuanian Railways, two local insurance companies, and other subcontractors.

WINT Law Firm

A relatively new name to the market, WINT Law Firm has been particularly prominent in energy, construction, financial services and procurement disputes. Leading the team is Daiva Ušinskaitė-Filonovienė and Giedrius Danėlius.

Testimonials

‘WINT stands out as boutique law firm with all firm’s partners just a phone call away, easy to access, with high level of competence and thorough personal engagement. Having possibility to avoid multi-level communication and rather having direct access to firm’s partners makes me feel confident that my matter is handled properly. On the other hand, enough resources have been allocated on behalf of Dispute resolution team to ensure smooth process and timely execution.’

‘Giedrius Danėlius is a prominent lawyer in the local market for white collar crime litigation cases. I trust how he handles my case. Thorough preparation, extensive analysis, legal competences —these are Giedrius’ strengths.’

‘Customer centricity is the key differentiator of WINT‘s dispute resolution practice among other market players. They are very result-oriented, determined and available for any concerns 24/7. I find them dedicated to the best outcome possible, applying creative approaches and non-standard solutions. They demonstrate passion for law combined with regular and clear communication. Our cooperation has been continuing for several years with a number of different cases. I trust the team’s experience and dedication for the best outcome.’

Cost-effective result in terms of resources and time.

We appreciate that the team delves into our issues and prepares for all possible situations. They understand not only the law but also our business. They work very efficiently with a great dedication to the result.

Daiva Ušinskaitė-Filonovienė is assertive when needed and clearly states her opinion. Her outstanding legal competencies combined with strategic thinking and effective communication many times has led to positive outcomes of our legal matters.

‘Daiva Ušinskaitė-Filonovienė is always personally engaged and dedicated to our matters. For urgent and important issues she is easily accessible around -the-clock as well as other members of dispute resolution practice.’

‘Team’s experience and competencies are outstanding and well supported by excellent communication skills.

Key clients

Prime Leasing, UAB

UAB Skinest Baltija

Henrikas Karpavičius

UAB Marijampolės pieno konservai

Šiauliai City Municipality

Verslo žinios, UAB

Raimondas Kurlianskis

Šiauliai regional waste management center

UAB “LiTak-Tak”

UAB “ESEMDA”

Work highlights

  • Advised Prime Leasing, UAB, a major car sharing company operating under the brand CityBee in procedures initiated after the biggest data leakage in Lithuanian history during which the internet hackers leaked over 110,000 of the company’s consumers’ data.
  • Represented UAB Skinest Baltija in several court cases, including representation in the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania, in defence of the client’s ability to equally participate in public procurement of Lietuvos geležinkeliai (LTG group).
  • Represemted Henrikas Karpavičius – heir of the late Mr. Raimondas Karpavičius – in an inheritance dispute.

AAA Law

AAA Law’s disputes offering covers corporate, customs and regulatory disputes, with a particular focus on the energy sector. Practice head Jonas Sakalauskas is the key name.

Practice head(s):

Jonas Sakalauskas

Testimonials

‘AAA Law team was really helpful with the assignments we had (related to civil matters, environmental, criminal). They are really professional, very good in analysis and strategy. They know our business very well and this helps us to achieve better results. AAA Law is very responsive and we have feeling that partners really care about us and work personally or with a team.’

‘Jonas Sakalauskas, partner of AAA Law – very precise, responsible and professional lawyer. Moreover, it is easy to communicate with him as he goes into the details of our matters and business and also he has a very nice personality. Therefore, it is a pleasure to work with him both professionally and personally and ethically.’

‘AAA LAW has a strong dispute resolution practice, led by experienced attorney at law Jonas Sakalauskas.’

‘Jonas Sakalauskas is a very experienced and talented practitioner, able to grasp the most complex issues and solve those successfully.’

‘Very good understanding of customs law, great cooperation, “can do” approach.’

Key clients

Kauno termofikacijos electrine (Kaunas Termofication Power Plant)

Lytagra

OilCore

Baltic BiTerminal

Lignum Forma

Vilniaus betono demontavimo technika

Fleur Alpine

Panevėžio stiklas

Baltijos technikos grupe

Via Sportas

Astorija Hotel

Audimas

Satimed

Bioineksas

Express Courier Association

Foksita

VSA Vilnius

The public servant of the Environmental Protection Department under the Ministry of Environment

Paysera

Mano bankas

Work highlights

  • Representing the public servant of the Environmental Protection Department under the Ministry of Environment in a criminal case arising from environmental matters.
  • Represented Express Courier Association in relations and negotiations with the Ministry of Finance, the Lithuanian Parliament and the Customs Department regarding implementation of relevant regulations regarding the abolishment of the import VAT exemption for small value consignments and the introduction of a new self-declaration IT system.
  • Acted for Paysera in a court dispute related to the infringement of the rights of the trademark, domain and legal name of the company owner.

Šulija Partners Law Firm Vilnius

Šulija Partners Law Firm Vilnius' team is led by Vytautas Šulija, an experienced litigator who formerly served as a member of the Commission at the Chief Administrative Disputes Commission for the Lithuanian government. He has been most active in debt recovery and shareholder disputes. Eduard Plesak, an expert in aviation-related disputes, is another key name.

Practice head(s):

Vytautas Šulija

Other key lawyers:

Eduard Plesak

Testimonials

‘One of the best aviation law firms on the Lithuanian market. We have engaged the law firm in handling many domestic and international high-value commercial disputes, including those that were the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lawyers have always proved themselves to be very efficient. They work out a clear strategy, strive to achieve the best results, very communicative, liaise with many international law firms when necessary and think through every possible scenario in advance.’

‘A team of experienced lawyers assisting in various disputes across the world, mostly specialising in aviation and other commercial matters. They establish a close connection with their client and provide top class legal services. The firm has recently expanded its list of foreign international law firms they work with.’

‘Vytautas Šulija is responsive, persistent in overcoming all sorts of problems in resolving disputes.’

Eduard Plešak provides precise legal advice and is also recommended for fast and effective dispute resolution.

‘The law firm is experienced in advising travel agencies and know the business very well, which clearly makes them stand out from other Lithuanian law firms. The lawyers are experienced, fast to react, very responsive, client-orientated and helpful in stressful situations. They take each dispute with our clients or business partners very seriously and do their best to achieve the best possible outcome.’

Key clients

AB “AviaAM Leasing”

UAB “BPC Travel”

UAB Kidy Tour

UAB GetJet Airlines

Airhub Airlines Limited

Ms Ashley Kozel

UAB Litcargus

UAB Aerojet Baltic

UAB Tomuvos didmena

HR Protrans OU

VL Aircraft Leasing

Aldebaran Aviation Limited

Go Green Holdings AS

Personal Enterprise “Salka”

Ms Jurgita Muščinskienė

Work highlights

  • Advised a journalist of a Russian state media barred from entering Lithuania due to an alleged threat to national security.
  • Advised Go Green Holdings in a dispute with UAB Elinta and UAB Elinta Motors regarding a recovery of debt in relation to the development of a universal plug-in hybrid electric drive system for commercial vehicles (PHEV).
  • Represented Protrans OU in a case on recovery of over $1m against Luna Capital Group and subsequent proceedings against the former management of the company.